Post by Vancouver on Dec 24, 2016 21:08:29 GMT
Vancouver (AP) - With the 2009 ABCA Ultimate draft underway, our expert Billy Simmonds takes a shot at predicting the lottery picks. He uses the general logic of picking best player available but sometimes also factors in current team construction. Take a look and share your meaningless thoughts below!
1. Chicago – Yao Ming—The big fella will come in and will not only be the tallest man in the league along with Shawn Bradley but he will actually bring some skills with it. This is a franchise player that Chicago has to be jumping up and down about.
2. Tel Aviv – Pete Maravich – With YAO off the board, the clear choice here is easily Pistol Pete. This draft has multiple tiers and the first one is a 2 player tier of only Yao/Pete. Tel Aviv is starting their build and what better place to start then getting an unstoppable offensive force to guide your offense for years to come.
3. Perth – Dave Cowens – Well this is where the draft starts to get interesting as we move into Tier 2 which is compromised by about 5 players. This pick is the true wildcard of the draft and one that will really dictate how the rest of the top 10 falls. It seems a lot of people think Lanier is the pick here but I personally like Cowens who can easily be 16/11 from the second he steps on the court but the talent difference between these next 6 picks are marginal at best.
4. REAL – Tiny Archibald – I believe REAL snags Tiny here for a multitude of different reasons but the 2 most important ones are this GM LOVES PGs, I mean literally loves them and Tiny is the next best in this class after Pete. Secondly, passing over Lanier here because he’s very similar in my opinion to Walk & I don’t think is a great compliment to Cliff Rob, so he grabs Tiny here who is very talented and can step in right away.
5. Brazil – Bob Lanier – This is what I believe to be Lanier’s floor as Brazil has really no talent outside of Guerin and Lanier adds a solid building block with considerable upside. There are other intriguing options here but grabbing a big man with Lanier’s potential is too enticing to pass up.
6. New York – Walt Bellamy – Obtained via Larry Nance, New York is going to scoop up the BPA regardless of position and I believe Bellamy is the best remaining. Not only is he the BPA but this also fills a positional void for NY as both his star bigs have been moved to different teams this off-season, so getting Bellamy, who’s athletic, can score, rebound and play some defense is a good start to this rebuild.
7. New York – Charlie Scott – Another pick obtained via trade, except this time for Greg Oden, New York is still going BPA and that has to be Charlie Scott, who’s a very athletic 2 guard with above average handles. Scott will be a welcome addition to the Hornacek/Winters combo and should help to form a very talented backcourt for the near future.
8. New Castle – Amare Stoudamire – The draft really starts to get interesting here as we move along to the third tier of prospects, all of whom are interesting but each one has a wart that makes them slide on draft day. With Anthony Davis a defensive monster, New Castle takes the chance on Amare who will be an elite athlete at the PF position, which will equate to a dominant offensive force but he really needs a big man behind him to help on the defensive end. This is a huge risk/reward pick but one that can pan out since AD is already entrenched at Center.
9. Aalborg – Calvin Murphy – I really have no idea who Aalborg is going to go with here but in my opinion Murphy is probably the best remaining player. Undersized but most definitely not under-skilled, Calvin is an interesting prospect in that his quickness makes up for his lack of size but in the end, what is he going to be? He has good handles but lackluster passing, he reminds me of Pee Wee Kirkland and should be a good 30mpg+ player in his prime.
10. Portland – Sam Lacey – This isn’t the fanciest pick in the world as Sam has a very high floor but limited ceiling that may limit him to an average starter if TC doesn’t enhance his current abilities. Portland has a history of going after the safer plays and I think Sam fits his criteria as a big man who rebounds, plays defense and can pass the ball.
11. San Francisco – Caron Butler – No one really knows what this GM is doing as he’s been bad for back to back seasons but without bottoming out, keeps finding himself outside of the premier talent in drafts. I think he goes with Butler here, who my scout seems to think is a top 5 pick but I just don’t see it. He has good athleticism and should be an all around contributor but I think this team really needs to pick a direction as the bottom-middle is not taking them anywhere.
12. REAL – Geoff Petri e– After picking Tiny at 4, REAL gets another guard to create his backcourt of the future with Tiny, Geoff & Len. Geoff has the athleticism and shot making ability to be a great compliment to Tiny & Len, as his 3pt shooting will allow Len & Tiny to do work in the lanes and kick it out to him for wide open shots.
13. Seattle –Ralph Simpson – I think Seattle really wanted Petrie to fall here so he can pair him with JoJo but he gets the next best thing in Ralph Simpson. Erroneously listed as a PF, Simpson is a true SG that can create for himself and knock down the open shots. He’s developing an outside shot that will truly transform his game and Seattle could really use that type of shooter with Saric dominating down low.
14. New York – Billy Paultz – I think this would be a steal if he lasts this far as my scout has him as a top 8 pick. I believe if he had just a tad more athleticism, he most definitely would be but getting him at 14 is a great coup. Billy has the blocking ability to shut down anyone who dare comes into the paint and NY has been very good at developing players over the years, so this should be a good pairing with Bellamy and the rest of the backcourt.
15. New Orleans – Randy Smith – I think New Orleans goes with the best player available and that looks to be Smith, although this player doesn’t look like your prototypical Jazz type guy. Lacking the shooting and looking more like a tweener, I doubt Jazz pick Smith but sticking with the mantra of BPA, Smith looks to be the guy here.
16. Piraeus – Tayshaun Prince – Another wildcard here, the last lotto pick is going to be Tayshaun Prince for Piraeus as both Dischinger & Havlicek are getting old and he can step in as a backup instantly but can be a starter in the near future. Prince looks to be ready now so it’s quite possible he gets scooped up way sooner then this but this is my mock so I say who goes where.
17. Vancouver – HAHAHA I AM NOT TELLING
1. Chicago – Yao Ming—The big fella will come in and will not only be the tallest man in the league along with Shawn Bradley but he will actually bring some skills with it. This is a franchise player that Chicago has to be jumping up and down about.
2. Tel Aviv – Pete Maravich – With YAO off the board, the clear choice here is easily Pistol Pete. This draft has multiple tiers and the first one is a 2 player tier of only Yao/Pete. Tel Aviv is starting their build and what better place to start then getting an unstoppable offensive force to guide your offense for years to come.
3. Perth – Dave Cowens – Well this is where the draft starts to get interesting as we move into Tier 2 which is compromised by about 5 players. This pick is the true wildcard of the draft and one that will really dictate how the rest of the top 10 falls. It seems a lot of people think Lanier is the pick here but I personally like Cowens who can easily be 16/11 from the second he steps on the court but the talent difference between these next 6 picks are marginal at best.
4. REAL – Tiny Archibald – I believe REAL snags Tiny here for a multitude of different reasons but the 2 most important ones are this GM LOVES PGs, I mean literally loves them and Tiny is the next best in this class after Pete. Secondly, passing over Lanier here because he’s very similar in my opinion to Walk & I don’t think is a great compliment to Cliff Rob, so he grabs Tiny here who is very talented and can step in right away.
5. Brazil – Bob Lanier – This is what I believe to be Lanier’s floor as Brazil has really no talent outside of Guerin and Lanier adds a solid building block with considerable upside. There are other intriguing options here but grabbing a big man with Lanier’s potential is too enticing to pass up.
6. New York – Walt Bellamy – Obtained via Larry Nance, New York is going to scoop up the BPA regardless of position and I believe Bellamy is the best remaining. Not only is he the BPA but this also fills a positional void for NY as both his star bigs have been moved to different teams this off-season, so getting Bellamy, who’s athletic, can score, rebound and play some defense is a good start to this rebuild.
7. New York – Charlie Scott – Another pick obtained via trade, except this time for Greg Oden, New York is still going BPA and that has to be Charlie Scott, who’s a very athletic 2 guard with above average handles. Scott will be a welcome addition to the Hornacek/Winters combo and should help to form a very talented backcourt for the near future.
8. New Castle – Amare Stoudamire – The draft really starts to get interesting here as we move along to the third tier of prospects, all of whom are interesting but each one has a wart that makes them slide on draft day. With Anthony Davis a defensive monster, New Castle takes the chance on Amare who will be an elite athlete at the PF position, which will equate to a dominant offensive force but he really needs a big man behind him to help on the defensive end. This is a huge risk/reward pick but one that can pan out since AD is already entrenched at Center.
9. Aalborg – Calvin Murphy – I really have no idea who Aalborg is going to go with here but in my opinion Murphy is probably the best remaining player. Undersized but most definitely not under-skilled, Calvin is an interesting prospect in that his quickness makes up for his lack of size but in the end, what is he going to be? He has good handles but lackluster passing, he reminds me of Pee Wee Kirkland and should be a good 30mpg+ player in his prime.
10. Portland – Sam Lacey – This isn’t the fanciest pick in the world as Sam has a very high floor but limited ceiling that may limit him to an average starter if TC doesn’t enhance his current abilities. Portland has a history of going after the safer plays and I think Sam fits his criteria as a big man who rebounds, plays defense and can pass the ball.
11. San Francisco – Caron Butler – No one really knows what this GM is doing as he’s been bad for back to back seasons but without bottoming out, keeps finding himself outside of the premier talent in drafts. I think he goes with Butler here, who my scout seems to think is a top 5 pick but I just don’t see it. He has good athleticism and should be an all around contributor but I think this team really needs to pick a direction as the bottom-middle is not taking them anywhere.
12. REAL – Geoff Petri e– After picking Tiny at 4, REAL gets another guard to create his backcourt of the future with Tiny, Geoff & Len. Geoff has the athleticism and shot making ability to be a great compliment to Tiny & Len, as his 3pt shooting will allow Len & Tiny to do work in the lanes and kick it out to him for wide open shots.
13. Seattle –Ralph Simpson – I think Seattle really wanted Petrie to fall here so he can pair him with JoJo but he gets the next best thing in Ralph Simpson. Erroneously listed as a PF, Simpson is a true SG that can create for himself and knock down the open shots. He’s developing an outside shot that will truly transform his game and Seattle could really use that type of shooter with Saric dominating down low.
14. New York – Billy Paultz – I think this would be a steal if he lasts this far as my scout has him as a top 8 pick. I believe if he had just a tad more athleticism, he most definitely would be but getting him at 14 is a great coup. Billy has the blocking ability to shut down anyone who dare comes into the paint and NY has been very good at developing players over the years, so this should be a good pairing with Bellamy and the rest of the backcourt.
15. New Orleans – Randy Smith – I think New Orleans goes with the best player available and that looks to be Smith, although this player doesn’t look like your prototypical Jazz type guy. Lacking the shooting and looking more like a tweener, I doubt Jazz pick Smith but sticking with the mantra of BPA, Smith looks to be the guy here.
16. Piraeus – Tayshaun Prince – Another wildcard here, the last lotto pick is going to be Tayshaun Prince for Piraeus as both Dischinger & Havlicek are getting old and he can step in as a backup instantly but can be a starter in the near future. Prince looks to be ready now so it’s quite possible he gets scooped up way sooner then this but this is my mock so I say who goes where.
17. Vancouver – HAHAHA I AM NOT TELLING
